A man was recovering in a hospital on Monday after surviving a plunge from the 15th floor of his New Zealand apartment building.

Police said the 20-year-old discovered he was locked out of his 14th floor unit in the Volt Apartment building in downtown Auckland at about 2am local time on Sunday.

He decided to try to scale down the outside of the building from an apartment directly above his. Police said he was trying to land on his balcony when he fell, landing on the roof of an adjacent building far below.

He was at first listed in critical condition but had improved by Monday to a satisfactory condition.

The New Zealand Herald identified the man as Tom Stilwell, a Briton in the country on a working holiday. Friend Dave Thomas told the paper Stilwell had suffered neck and back fractures, a broken wrist, and suspected internal injuries.

Volt Apartment resident Geraldine Bautista told the paper that Stilwell knocked on her door on the 15th floor at about 2am. She said he appeared to have been drinking but she was not fearful of him.

"He just requested 'Can you please let me jump off from the balcony? I will not bother you, just let me use your balcony,'" Bautista said.